Once food items are cooked how long can they be held before serving?

Question

i work in a cafe where each morning lots of bacon and sausages are cooked before being place in a bain marie, as some days are quieter than others some times the sausages can still be there after 3/4 hrs, is there any laws about how long hot food can be kept hot for, is there anywhere i could get some guide lines

Answer 1

Food should never be out for more then 4 hours unless it is being held at a internal temperature, at or above 140 F.

Answer 2

Cooked meats like that can be held warmed for many hours. Actually the bacon ( smoked), even longer with no problem. It would even be alright to pull off and refrigerate and reheat the next day.